Guwahati, Jan. 2: Arunachal chief minister Pema Khandu today axed five parliamentary secretaries, four days after he dropped three ministers in wake of the political turmoil triggered by Thursday night's suspension of Khandu and six other MLAs by People's Party of Arunachal (PPA) for alleged anti-party activities.

The announcement came two days after Khandu walked out of the PPA with 33 MLAs into the BJP fold, giving the national party its second full-fledged government in the Northeast after Assam.

The dropped parliamentary secretaries, with effect from December 31, are Mutchu Mithi, Marko Tado, Tirong Aboh, Dikto Yekar, Nikh Kamin, an order issued by the parliamentary affairs commissioner B. Pertin said.

Earlier, Khandu had dropped three ministers - Rajesh Tacho, Tanga Byaling and Takam Pario - and two advisers - Kameng Dalo and Tapang Taloh.

Khandu today also met governor V. Shanmuganathan at the Raj Bhavan to exchange New Year greetings, discuss various development issues of the state and the recent political development in the frontier state, an official release said. The governor had returned from a three-day tour to Lower Subansiri district today.

Sources said the PPA had planned a protest against the merger today but it did not take place. PPAsecretary general K. Jerang said there will be developments because there are "loopholes" in the merger.

They also said both the Speaker and Raj Bhavan seemed to have endorsed the merger.